Being a high school student-athlete can be a struggle. Whether one has had to stay up the night before the big match, has had a long day at school, or is dealing with other stressful issues, their mind is never solely focused on the upcoming match. This battle between balancing schoolwork, social life, and high-level competition is nearly experienced by all Groton student-athletes, affecting the way they compete and their mental strength on the playing ground.
Over the summer, I attended the 2024 Bonmont Tennis Masters in Switzerland, having the chance to interview former World No. 3 and 2021 US Open champion Dominic Thiem. Thiem, who has struggled with a persistent wrist injury, has experienced similar battles with confidence and mental toughness throughout his career. When I asked how he confronts self-doubt and the loss of confidence, especially in a sport like tennis where the mental aspect of the game is arguably the key element of the sport, Thiem describes tennis as a “sport with a very fast momentum that is always shifting.” He advises tennis players to focus on the upcoming points while forgetting about the series of bad points or poor performance on the court. Through concentrating on playing a few good points, Thiem firmly believes that “[one] can regain their confidence even when [one] is down and almost losing.”
Groton athletes should strive to be future-oriented and have a short memory of the past to succeed on and off the playing field. Having a bad day at school should not impede one from performing well in another aspect of their life. This idea also applies to school: an unideal test score should not make one feel demoralized and out of confidence; instead, they should focus on improving on the next, moving forward instead of lingering on the past.
Moreover, when a negative mindset trumps the player, they begin to express their pessimism outward. A series of bad mistakes can trigger such frustrating emotions to arise, causing tennis players to be scared to hit the next ball. When asked about how Thiem deals with mistakes and negative self-talk, he said, “Tennis is a sport of mistakes and mistakes are normal.” Instead of putting pressure on themselves, players should learn to accept their mistakes and learn from them, figuring out ways to overcome mental barriers to find success.
Finally, Thiem remarks, “Even the best players in the world make bad mistakes and may look like beginners at times.” The struggle of self-doubt and negativity is universal, even amongst the greatest players in the world. The fact that the highest-achieving athletes make mistakes indicates that everyone is learning, and no one has mastered it all. Therefore, lowering one’s expectations can help with performance and even achieve greater things. While the mental barrier may seem insuperable, there is always a way past it.
